


we'll be outlaws

by watyonameisgurl



Series: i'm bonnie, you can be clyde [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prohibition Era, I'm not a historian though, Liam's parents are horrible, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, a lot of this is probably super historically inaccurate, also Zayn gets called sandnigger at one point by a townsperson, but i tried my best, but like in a period-typical way, if that makes sense, if that sort of thing triggers you please don't read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 17:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10541334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watyonameisgurl/pseuds/watyonameisgurl
Summary: Just a little Prohibition Era drabble featuring Zayn as the outlaw/bad boy and Liam as the good (church-going) boy





	

**Author's Note:**

> Re-posting this from tumblr, slightly cleaned up and expanded; rated T mostly for language and other implied adult-ish themes  
> (original version can be found [here](https://yaz-the-spaz.tumblr.com/post/159054489443/well-be-outlaws) if you want to read it)  
> Title from the Alessia Cara song that inspired this little plot bunny/ficlet/drabble  
> (because apparently I am just on a roll lately...also sincerest apologies to those reading my main fic...maybe you could take this cute little slightly angsty ziam drabble as an apology gift for the wait???)

 Zayn rolls into town in a brand new Matchless Model X causing general havoc around town.

Rumors fly about him deflowering good little girls and boys—even an altar boy or two— smuggling alcohol into their alcohol-free town, and getting into fights. Anything that turns up missing get blamed on him, and likely _was_ him.

Liam works at the town apothecary where Zayn buys his cigarettes, every two days at noon like clockwork. He’s not allowed in any of the town’s other white-only stores of course, but the man who owns the apothecary is a former abolitionist who believes everybody should be treated equally. Most of the townspeople don’t like his ideas but they tolerate him because otherwise they’d be out of a pharmacist.

Liam’s parents warn him to stay away and not to talk to “that man, he’s the devil incarnate” but Zayn catches him sneak-reading a book of poetry at the register one day and after that every time he comes back he gives Liam a new book to read from his own personal collection (and Liam finds himself identifying most with Wilfred Owen and WH Auden).*

One night Zayn convinces Liam to go for a ride with him on his motorcycle. He even shows Liam how to drive it on the old dirt road through the park Liam used to play in as a kid, a reasonable distance away from prying eyes. And later he takes him out to a spot just outside of town where they sit under the stars and talk about poetry and music for hours.

Liam admits to Zayn that his parents don’t want him listening to jazz or blues because they see them as the devil’s music but he saves up his wages from the store and stops by the town record shop every weekend to buy the latest albums and gives the shop owner a little extra to keep him from gossiping. He even writes poems of his own and sometimes puts them to music but his parents just see it as a waste of time. They want him to do something more practical like working in the automotive factory with his father, but Liam’s seen how miserable he is when he comes home, drinking his nights away, and he doesn’t want that for himself. He doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life miserable and unhappy and stuck in the same place and he tells Zayn as much and Zayn understands.

Weeks pass like this with them going out together late at night after Liam’s shifts and for a time it’s the happiest Liam’s ever felt, having someone to talk to, someone who listens to him and who actually cares about what he has to say. And Zayn finds himself revealing secrets too, secrets he hasn’t felt safe enough to reveal to anyone for a long time, but Liam makes him feel safe and happy and home in a way he hasn’t felt since the day his family kicked him out so many years ago now.

Eventually though someone spots them together and the townspeople start to gossip. It’s not long of course before that gossip makes its way around to Liam’s parents and they both have a fit when they find out. His mom can barely look at him and his dad stops talking to him altogether.

Zayn wants Liam to run away with him, live free, but Liam doesn’t want to leave his parents and his home, it’s all he’s ever known and he’s not sure he’s ready to let it all go.

Until the day he overhears one of his mom’s church friends whispering about him at the monthly church potluck, which according to her he shouldn’t even be allowed to attend because “abominations” and “sandnigger lovers” shouldn’t be allowed in the Lord’s House. His mom doesn’t defend him, doesn’t even bat an eyelash at the woman’s words even though he knows she heard it too because she’s standing right next to him, and that’s when he makes his decision.

When they get back home he packs up his things as quietly as he can, and when night falls he slips out without a sound and goes straight to the run-down motel on the edge of town where Zayn’s staying—the only one in town that will take “his kind.” He knocks on Zayn’s door teary-eyed and shaking and not from the cold night air, and Zayn opens the door, takes one look at him and pulls him in.

Liam gives him everything he has left to give that night and afterwards Zayn holds him close and kisses promises into his neck that Liam knows he can’t keep, promises about everything being okay and the world changing one day, and Liam closes his eyes and tries hard to believe him. In the morning, after Zayn’s packed up his own small pile of belongings and paid the lodger, they hop on his bike, Liam’s suitcase and a small crate full of moonshine and Zayn’s things strapped to the back, and Liam says goodbye to the only home he’s ever known.

When they pass the town sign he presses his face into Zayn’s neck, lets the wind blow through his hair, and doesn’t ever look back.

**Author's Note:**

> *I was actually just trying to find gay poets from the 1920’s/30’s, it was just pure coincidence that they both happened to be British  
> Also feel free to google pictures of the Matchless Model X cause it's pretty badass (and I feel like it fits Zayn's personality pretty well too imho)!
> 
> Thinking about maybe turning this into a series so let me know in the comments section if you guys would like to see more of this verse, and of course kudos are always appreciated! Much love! :)


End file.
